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Psychometric Tests (psychometric + test)
Selected AbstractsHR Professionals' Beliefs About, and Knowledge of, Assessment Techniques and Psychometric TestsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2008Adrian Furnham In all 255 adult professionals concerned with selection, assessment and training completed a questionnaire which asked their beliefs about the validity, cost, practicality and legality of different assessment techniques (i.e., Assessment Centres, Biodata, Interviews) and their knowledge and use of both personality and ability tests. Participants tended to be positive about the tests themselves, how they were used and about test publishers. They rated Assessment Centres, Cognitive ability tests and Work Samples as the most valid, while Interviews were rated as most practical. Results from knowledge of personality and intelligence tests indicated that only a few tests were widely known, more so in personality/motivation than intelligence. Implications of these results for educating and informing practitioners are considered. [source] AUTOMIC FAILURE AND NORMAL PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS IN A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC DEMYELINATING INFLAMMATORY NEUROPATHYJOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, Issue 1 2002M. Laurą A 75-year-old man with HCV hepatitis developed at the age of 70 presented with rest and action tremor localized at both hands and progressive cognitive impairment with memory loss. Four years later he begun to complain of progressive fatigue, occasional falls, numbness at the extremities and orthostatic hypotension. One month after admission, he rapidly worsened with inability to walk, mainly because of autonomic failure. Neurological examination revealed gait disturbances, including a wide base of support and short stride, slurred speech, reduction of upward gaze, rest and action tremor at both hands, intrinsic hand muscle and anterior tibialis muscle wasting and weakness on both sides, absent deep tendon reflexes, loss of vibration sense at lower limbs, and bilateral pes cavus. Routine laboratory studies, autoantibodies, thyroid function, neoplastic markers and immunoelectrophoresis were normal. Cryoglobulins were absent, whereas CSF protein content was increased (142 mg/dl). Autonomic nervous system investigation detected severe orthostatic hypotension. Nerve conduction studies showed absent sensory potentials and a marked reduction of compound motor action potential amplitudes and of motor conduction velocities. A sural nerve biopsy revealed remarkable onion bulb-like changes, endoneurial and perivascular infiltrations of inflammatory cells. Psychometric tests showed mild cognitive impairment. Brain MRI was consistent with normotensive hydrocephalus. The findings indicated the presence of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, autonomic nervous system involvement and normal pressure hydrocephalus. A condition of multiple system atrophy (MSA) might be taken into account, even if somatic peripheral nerve involvement may rarely occur in MSA. Moreover the normal pressure hydrocephalus could be due to the high protein content in CSF (Fukatsu R et al., 1997). [source] Spectral electroencephalogram analysis in hepatic encephalopathy and liver transplantationLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 7 2002Alessia Ciancio The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of spectral electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis (SEEG) in quantitating brain dysfunction in cirrhotic patients, showing conditions of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and determining the impact of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) on its correction. SEEG was compared with visual EEG (VEEG) in 44 cirrhotic patients waiting for OLT and 44 healthy controls. Eighteen patients had overt HE, and 26 patients had no apparent HE. Twenty-one transplant recipients were reexamined 6 months after OLT. Computerized SEEG was performed by mean dominant frequency (MDF) and the occipital alpha-theta ratio, expressed as its logarithmic transformation (LogR). All patients underwent psychometric assessment. MDF and LogR correlated significantly with Child-Pugh score (P < .05) and the presence of HE (P < .0001). SEEG and VEEG determined minimal HE in 8 (31%) and 6 (23%) of 26 patients without overt HE, respectively. SEEG did not correlate with age, sex, cause of liver disease, portal hypertension, or psychometric test results. MDF and LogR improved in many transplant recipients. LogR was significantly lower in OLT candidates who died before OLT compared with OLT survivors. In conclusion, SEEG provides reliable quantitative information to evaluate the degree of HE and appears more sensitive than VEEG to discriminate a subclinical stage of HE. The improvement in SEEG results observed in transplant recipients confirms the reversibility of bioelectric brain dysfunction with restoration of liver functions. [source] Applied psychometrics in clinical psychiatry: the pharmacopsychometric triangleACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009P. Bech Objective:, To consider applied psychometrics in psychiatry as a discipline focusing on pharmacopsychology rather than psychopharmacology as illustrated by the pharmacopsychometric triangle. Method:, The pharmacopsychological dimensions of clinically valid effects of drugs (antianxiety, antidepressive, antimanic, and antipsychotic), of clinically unwanted effects of these drugs, and the patients' own subjective perception of the balance between wanted and unwanted effects are analysed using rating scales assessed by modern psychometric tests (item response theory models) Results:, Symptom rating scales fulfilling the item response theory models have been shown to be psychometrically valid outcome scales as their total scores are sufficient statistics for demonstrating dose,response relationship within the various classes of antianxiety, antidepressive, antimanic or antipsychotic drugs. The total scores of side-effect rating scales are, however, not sufficient statistics, implying that each symptom has to be analysed individually. Self-rating scales with very few items appear to be sufficient statistics when measuring the patients' own perception of quality of life. Conclusion:, Applied psychometrics in psychiatry have been found to cover a pharmacopsychometric triangle illustrating the measurements of wanted and unwanted effects of pharmacotherapeutic drugs as well as health-related quality of life. [source] Sedation and antihistamines: an update.HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 7 2008Review of inter-drug differences using proportional impairment ratios Abstract Background The use of antihistamines (AHs) has been associated with cognitive and psychomotor impairments, largely caused by the sedative properties of many of these drugs. Due to the ambulant nature of the population using AHs, it is important to evaluate these effects using standardised methodology and psychometric tests. A previous extensive review of the literature collated the results of studies of H1 receptor antagonists to determine the extent to which a particular AH produced impairments on a battery of psychometric tests by calculating a proportional impairment ratio for each AH. Objective In light of a number of major studies published following the previous review, and the development of the second and new-generation AHs, the present review aims to add to the database and update the review, using the same methodology. Results and Conclusion The newer generation AHs appear to be the least impairing, and the first generation, as expected, appear to be the most impairing. There are also differences within the AH drug generations. The review highlights the necessity to consider the sedating potential of AHs, along with other factors such as efficacy, when prescribing AHs to ambulant patients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Computer-assisted vs. teacher-directed teaching of numeracy in adultsJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2000Abstract, Whilst a good deal of research literature has been published on using Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) to help teach children with learning disabilities, there are fewer published studies examining the use of CAI with adults with a mild learning disability. This paper reports on an experiment comparing computer-assisted and teacher-implemented instruction in numeracy with this population, with a third group acting as a control group. All groups were pre-tested on two psychometric tests of numeracy, after which the experimental groups received one half-day per week training in numeracy, with all groups being reassessed after three months and after six months. It was found that overall the three groups improved in their numeracy scores, and that teacher-led and computer groups improved more as a function of time on the intervention than did the control group. The issue of how much teacher support is required when this population uses CAI is discussed, as are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the software used in the study. [source] Detection of Malingered PTSD: An Overview of Clinical, Psychometric, and Physiological Assessment: Where Do We Stand?JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 3 2007Ryan C. W. Hall M.D. ABSTRACT: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can be easily malingered for secondary gain. For this reason, it is important for physicians to understand the phenomenology of true PTSD and indicators that suggest an individual is malingering. This paper reviews the prevalence of PTSD for both the general population and for specific events, such as rape and terrorism, to familiarize evaluators with the frequency of its occurrence. The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, as well as potential ambiguities in the criteria, such as what constitutes an exposure to a traumatic event, are reviewed. Identified risk factors are reviewed as a potential way to help differentiate true cases of PTSD from malingered cases. The question of symptom overreporting as a feature of the disease versus a sign of malingering is discussed. We then examine how the clinician can use the clinical interview (e.g., SIRS, CAPS), psychometric testing, and the patient's physiological responses to detect malingering. Particular attention is paid to research on the MMPI and the subscales of infrequency (F), infrequency-psychopathology (Fp), and infrequency-posttraumatic stress disorder (Fptsd). Research and questions regarding the accuracy of self-report questionnaires, specifically the Mississippi Scale (MSS) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), are examined. Validity, usability, and cutoff values for other psychometric tests, checklists, and physiological tests are discussed. The review includes a case, which shows how an individual used symptom checklist information to malinger PTSD and the inconsistencies in his story that the evaluator detected. We conclude with a discussion regarding future diagnostic criteria and suggestions for research, including a systematic multifaceted approach to identify malingering. [source] Value of regional cerebral blood flow in the evaluation of chronic liver disease and subclinical hepatic encephalopathyJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 10 2003YUSUF YAZGAN Abstract Aims:, Regional changes in cerebral blood flow in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy were investigated in the present study using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods:, Twenty patients with cirrhosis, 11 patients with chronic hepatitis, and nine healthy controls were included in the study. Cerebral SPECT were obtained for all patients. The percentages of cerebral blood flow of 14 regions to the cerebellar blood flow were determined. Only the patients with cirrhosis underwent psychometric evaluation: visual evoked potentials (VEP) measurements and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings along with blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, and ammonia were measured and prothrombin time was determined in cirrhotic patients. These patients were classified according to the Child,Pugh classification. Results:, Among cirrhotic patients, six had abnormal results in VEP studies, 11 in psychometric tests and with six in EEG evaluation. Any abnormality in psychometric tests and/or VEP studies is taken as the main criterion; subclinical hepatic encephalopathy was detected in 12 of 20 patients. According to SPECT results in patients with subclinical encephalopathy, a statistically significant decrease in cerebral blood flow in right thalamus and nearly significant decrease in left thalamus were observed. Regional blood flow was significantly higher in the frontal lobes of patients with cirrhosis when compared with healthy controls. Similarly, cerebral blood flow in frontal and cingulate regions was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis than in healthy controls. There was no relationship between cerebral blood flow and blood levels of ammonia or Child,Pugh score, in cirrhotic patients. Conclusion:, Significant changes in cerebral blood flow may be present in chronic liver diseases and the authors suggest that the measurement of changes in cerebral blood flow might be useful in detecting subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. [source] Japanese version of Cutaneous Body Image Scale: Translation and validationTHE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Yuko HIGAKI Abstract Cutaneous body image, defined as the individual's mental perception of the appearance of their skin, hair and nails, is an important psychodermatological element in skin diseases. To measure individuals' cutaneous body image, a practical and accurate instrument is necessary. In this study, we translated the Cutaneous Body Image Scale (CBIS), a 7-item instrument originally created by Gupta et al. in 2004, into Japanese using a forward- and back-translation method and evaluated the reliability and validity of the instrument by psychometric tests. A total of 298 healthy adults (64 men and 234 women, aged 28.9 ± 9.9 years) and 165 dermatology patients (56.7% eczema/dermatitis, 9.8% acne, 7.5% alopecia, 6.9% psoriasis, 19.1% skin tumor/fleck/other) (30 men and 135 women, aged 37.9 ± 15.2 years) responded to the Japanese version of the CBIS. The internal-consistency reliability of the instrument was high (Cronbach's ,, healthy adults 0.88, patients 0.84). The CBIS measure demonstrates good test,retest reliability (healthy adults , = 0.92, P < 0.0001; patients , = 0.79, P < 0.001). Compared to the healthy adults (4.11 ± 1.80), the CBIS scores among dermatology patients (3.18 ± 1.69, P = 0.000) were significantly low. The CBIS scores showed moderate correlation with the "emotions" and "global" scores of Skindex-16 in healthy adults (, = ,0.397 and ,0.373, respectively) and in patients (, = ,0.431 and ,0.38, respectively). A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that an emotional aspect of skin-condition related quality of life was the best predictor of cutaneous body image in both healthy adults and patients (, = ,0.31 and ,0.41, respectively) followed by "body dissatisfaction" (, = ,0.17, and ,0.23, respectively). Adjusted R2 was 0.246 in healthy adults and 0.264 in patients. These were consistent with the results from the original the CBIS. These results suggest that the Japanese version of the CBIS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the cutaneous body image of Japanese adults and also dermatology patients. [source] Effect of carotid endarterectomy on cognitive function: long-term follow-upBRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 4 2000A. J. Lloyd Background: Long-term effects of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on cognitive function are not known. Evidence suggests that perioperative embolization may disrupt cognitive function in the short term. Methods: A controlled study was conducted to examine the cognitive function of 109 patients undergoing CEA before and at 6 months after operation (n = 100). The objective validated psychometric tests assessed attention, memory, language and visuospatial skills. Perioperative embolization was determined using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Results: Patients who were spontaneously embolizing before operation had significant preoperative cognitive impairment (P = 0·03). The controlled cognitive function tests showed no evidence of a cognitive deficit 6 months after CEA. The total number of emboli detected for each patient ranged from 0 to 700 (mean 32). There was no evidence of a significant correlation between the number of emboli detected during CEA and change in cognitive function (r = 0·07). Conclusion: CEA is not associated with worsening cognitive impairment. Asymptomatic perioperative microembolization has no long-term effect on cognitive function. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source] | ||||||||||